Catus Flower C&C

[Ocho_1]

Hey guys, OK, this really is the 1st time that I decided to take some shots & with theses I guess I'll begin to guage my progress.

Please let me know what you think.

1.

Cactus Flower 1 by ~Ocho1~, on Flickr

2.

Cactus Flower 3 by ~Ocho1~, on Flickr

3.

Cactus by ~Ocho1~, on Flickr

 

[blackrose89]

1st one has potentional, but the rocks in the background blend way to well together and makes it distracting IMO.2nd same almost. The rocks are distracting, so is the thing on the bottom left corner and you cropped part of the flower out.

 

[Ocho_1]

yeah, I can see how the grey rocks can be a bit distracting. They blend too closely with the color of the flower.

Thx.

 

[Ocho_1]

no one else???

 

[cmartin2]

I am a noob so take my feedback lightly, but I like the lower angles of 1 and 3. As mentioned the grey rocks behind 1 take something away. For 3, it looks like the rocks are more in focus than the cactus.

 

[Joel_W]

Closeup florals can be a very rewarding, but you need to have the basics down. Photo 1 has a few issues. Those large rocks need to go, and you need to have less DOF so that those pebbles compliment the catus, not compete with it. I would have tried to move one way or the other to get the pebbles as your only background. Pic 2, those large rocks are really in focus as well as the pebbles, and as in pic 1, need to go . Also the side of the container is very distracting. Pic 3, same as pics 1 & 2, The background of wooden planks need to go, or use DOF to soften it up so it's no longer distracting to the eye.

What I do with my florals, is to study the composition on my LCD screen. I spend as much time looking at the background, as I do composing the picture.

After you take the picture, look at it on your LCD. Look at your composition, look at the background, and look at your exposure using your Histogram if you feel the exposure is off.

Shooting in a closed environment such as a greenhouse is very difficult because the plants which are usually potted, are on right on top of each other. Backgrounds are easily overly complicated with plants, pots, etc. Many times, I just don't take the picture because there isn't anything I can do to correct all the background issues. It's always seems it's the little things that make or break close ups, especially close up florals.

Here's a close up of an Orchid taken in a very cramped greenhouse. I tried to have the background as soft as possible by using shallow DOF, yet making sure that the Orchid is in focus. You'll notice that entire background are flower pots, but they don't compete for the viewers attention.


DSCN2680 by jaw101, on Flickr

 

[Ocho_1]

Good tips, Thanks.

that orchid looks great.

 

[Joel_W]

BTW, love your avatar. It looks like a 427 Cobra, or is it a 289 SC? Drove a 427 once. Scared the hell out of myself.

 

[GnipGnop]

Kind of boring. Plain colour, uninteresting subject, and strange focus on the second one. When doing macros I like to have the entire flower in focus and a well blurred background, in general. There are always exceptions.

What were you planning to create with these shots?